


A Shared Fondness for Horses

by DesertVixen



Category: Greek and Roman Mythology, The Iliad - Homer
Genre: F/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 07:05:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6844195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Andromache wants to catch a glimpse of her future husband...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shared Fondness for Horses

**Author's Note:**

  * For [betony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/betony/gifts).



She had known that this day would come.  


Andromache was a Theban princess, the only Theban princess. The destiny of princesses – of many women – was to leave her father’s house and her people’s lands when she was given in marriage. After all, a princess could hardly marry a commoner, and it would be ill-advised for her to marry a Theban noble – such a course would have a high chance of ending in a court intrigue. So she would be given to a man of royal blood in another land, and she would make her home there. 

Andromache had refused to dwell on it, preferring to wait until the day arrived to worry. There was little point in ruining the time she did have to spend here. It was far better to store up her memories, so that when she left to go to that other land, she would always carry a piece of home in her heart. Now, it seemed as if everything was bittersweet when she experienced it for the last time. 

Her father Eetion had informed her that she was to go to Troy. King Priam of that famed walled city had sent her father many valuable gifts to demonstrate the wealth of his lands. She was to marry his son Hektor, who would one day rule in his father’s place. Andromache had heard many things about how beautiful Troy was, and a few less pleasant rumors, like the one that Priam had an insane daughter, Cassandra. She would see all of it for herself, she supposed, soon enough.

Andromache had enjoyed the gifts, but none so much as the magnificent horse intended for her father. It was a great glossy beast, with an impossibly dark brown coat, and possibly the best-trained horse Andromache had ever seen. For her, of course, there had been fine cloth and valuable adornments, but it was the horse she wanted most. There was little chance of it, for there was nothing in the whole world her father appreciated as much as a fine horse. Supposedly the horse had been tamed by Hektor himself. That was what intrigued Andromache most about her future husband. The heralds said that he was handsome and wise, as well as being a great warrior. But Hektor was a prince, and heralds always used such flowery flattery to describe princes, unless they were hideous or stupid, or perhaps even cowardly. 

It was much the same for princesses, who were always lovely and gentle and kind. Andromache was sure that was how the heralds had described her to the court of Troy. Of course, the heralds would have said nothing about the fact that Andromache could outride five of her seven brothers, or that she listened as avidly as her oldest brother when wise men spoke of military matters. There was no room in the words of the heralds for a real woman, who on occasion borrowed her father’s best horse and rode in men’s clothes, just to feel the wind on her face and in her hair, to feel the power of a strong horse beneath her. There was only room for a princess, not for Andromache.

She had managed to sneak a ride on her father’s gift with some assistance from one of her brothers, who had wanted to ride the magnificent animal as much as she had. It had been worth their planning, and the ride was the one thing that had made her truly interested in the man she would marry. She would never forget the feeling of that ride – her last as an unencumbered princess. 

Andromache had to see this Hektor for herself.

*** *** 

She found it easy enough to sneak into the stables. It was a feat she had performed many times, usually with help from one of her brothers. Her brothers, however, would be no help this time. They were far too interested in trying to see Hektor for themselves. Little attention was paid to their sister’s whereabouts – after all, she would be spending the rest of her life with the man. He might never visit Thebes again. They had seen Andromache all of their lives, but there had never been a visit to Thebes by a prince of Hektor’s status. There might never be such another visit.

She had a place in the stables where she would be able to hide herself, and have an unobstructed view of the area in the stables reserved for Eetion’s great guest. It was cramped and not comfortable, but Andromache hoped she would not have to spend a great amount of time in it. The excitement in Thebes was at a fever-pitch, for Hektor’s visit – and his choice of Andromache as his bride - was a great honor to their city, and there would be celebrations for days.

Now, however, in her father’s stables, she watched the Trojan party and their horses. The horses were all beautiful animals, but one stood out from the group. It seemed to be nearly a twin to the horse her father had been given, and Andromache decided this one must be Hektor’s horse. She was disappointed, however. These men were clearly trusted retainers, but not the owners of the horses – at least not the horse she was interested in. 

Andromache was about to slip from her hiding place – before long, it would be time for her to dress in her finest to meet her intended husband – when another man entered. He was well-built, and moved with a careless grace. Andromache could easily imagine this man swinging a sword in a deadly arc or riding in a chariot to battle. Somehow, she was not surprised to see him walk up to the horse she had decided must belong to Hektor with some treat in his hand. After the horse finished crunching, he stroked its nose and ears affectionately, speaking to it in low tones. 

Andromache felt a strange fluttering feeling in her stomach as she watched his hands – big hands that could easily wield a weapon, and yet they were quite gentle now. She wondered for a moment how those hands might feel touching her. _Please let this be Hektor_ , she hoped. He was certainly pleasant to behold, and he had a way with horses. It made her hopeful that they could build a relationship together.

If he did not leave, however, she was going to be in trouble. Andromache could not leave her hiding place while he stood there. Finally, he gave the horse a final pat, and turned to leave. She waited until he was out of sight, then emerged from her hiding place. She could not leave, however, without taking a closer look at the horse, and stroking her hand along his nose. Then she heard a noise, and looked to see the man she thought was Hektor coming back towards the horse. 

Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Andromache fled. If she was caught here, there would be no end of complaints from her mother. Princesses did not belong in stables, in the queen’s opinion, no matter how horse-crazed everyone else in the family was.

She wondered how Hektor would feel about that.

*** *** 

Hektor waited for the royal audience with Eetion and his family with a touch of impatience. There was no question about the marriage to Eetion’s daughter - it would benefit both Thebes and Troy. It was his duty as a prince, just as it would be her duty. If he was lucky, he would be able to like his bride. He was far more interested in trying to find the maiden he had seen in the stables. He had not been able to see much of her, as she was concealed by a cloak, but he remembered the immense dark eyes she had. When their eyes had locked, he had felt as if she would be someone important to him. He had liked that she did not seem the least bit afraid of his horse.

He supposed it was probably too much to ask that this Andromache – this fighter of men, so she was named – to have immense dark eyes and a fondness for horses. 

But he could hope.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this! I went through a couple versions on this one, but I think it meets your desire for light and pre-canon, with hints of that horse-mad princess.


End file.
